Top 14 Orange side Biarritz have suffered an early season setback with the news that Dimitri Yachvili is set for three months on the sidelines.

Yachvili has suffered a slipped disc in his back and looks likely to miss the start of their Heineken Cup campaign. They have Aviva Premiership champions Harlequins in their group alongside RaboDirect PRO12 sides Connacht and Zebre.

The mercurial scrum-half said that "he has felt pain for a few weeks. I received injections a month ago but the pain persisted despite anti-inflammatories". He played 30 minutes for Biarritz on Saturday in their opening game of the Top 14 which they won with a 30-15 triumph over new boys Mont-de-Marson.

Yann Lesgourgues started at scrum-half and looks likely to deputise for Yachvili while he is out.